The impact of power on health care team performance and patient safety: A review of the literature

Erin L Stevens; Adam Hulme; Paul M Salmon

doi:10.1080/00140139.2021.1906454

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The impact of power on health care team performance and patient safety: A review of the literature

Journal article

Peer reviewed

The impact of power on health care team performance and patient safety: A review of the literature

Erin L Stevens, Adam Hulme and Paul M Salmon

Ergonomics, Vol.64(8), pp.1072-1090

2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2021.1906454

PMID: 33775234

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Abstract

health care ergonomics

patient safety

Health and Safety

socio-technical systems

Communication failure within health care teams is a major cause of patient harm across health care settings. Factors which contribute to communication failure include actual or perceived 'power'. Whilst a great deal of ergonomics research has focussed on teamwork in health care, the role of power in relation to measurable patient safety and performance outcomes remains relatively unknown. This article presents the findings from a review of the literature on power within multidisciplinary health care team settings. Following a systematic literature search, nineteen studies were evaluated in terms of research design, methods and analyses across the included studies. The main impacts resulting from power imbalances include negative effects on team collaboration, decision-making, communication and overall performance. Wider patient safety research, and more specifically the ergonomics discipline, is encouraged to address the complex interplay between power and teamwork in the health care sector.

Details

Title: The impact of power on health care team performance and patient safety: A review of the literature
Authors: Erin L Stevens (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science
Adam Hulme (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science
Paul M Salmon (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science
Publication details: Ergonomics, Vol.64(8), pp.1072-1090
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Date published: 2021
DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2021.1906454
ISSN: 1366-5847
PMID: 33775234
Organisation Unit: Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Society; External
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99522507202621
Output Type: Journal article

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Web Of Science research areas: Engineering, Industrial; Ergonomics; Psychology; Psychology, Applied

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